Dangerous driver jailed after leading police on 80mph chase through Eye - before falling over as he fled on foot

Adam Reeves (31) raced through the streets of Eye on the morning of August 28 this year when police started following him.

He believed he was driving under the influence of class A drugs - which a test would later prove to be incorrect - and sped down narrow country lanes as he tried to flee.

However, the chase came to an end when he drove down a cul-de-sac - and as he fled on foot he tripped, allowing officers to arrest him.

Today (Friday) Reeves appeared at Peterborough Crown Court where he was jailed for six months after admitting dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving with no insurance.

The court heard how Reeves, of Godsey Crescent, Market Deeping, had loaned a car from a friend when police started following him - as they, incorrectly, believed the car was stolen.

Jonathan Masters, prosecuting, said pursuit started in Back Lane, Eye at about 10.45am.

Dashcam footage of the chase was shown to the court, with the video showing Reeves overtaking another car, and pedestrians, including one woman walking her dogs, standing only a few feet away from the speeding cars.

The pursuit lasted for about three minutes.

Mr Masters told the court Reeves had a number of previous convictions, including for dangerous driving - although there were no traffic offences against his name since 2010.

The court was also told Reeves had failed to comply with almost all the community orders imposed against him - and last year was jailed for being involved in the production of cannabis - having initially only been given a community sentence.

Charles Kellett, defending, said: “The irony is the ANPR showed the car had been stolen - but if he had stopped, nothing more would have come of it.

“He had taken class A drugs the day before, and did not know how long they stayed in his system. When he saw the blue lights, he panicked.”

Mr Kellett said Reeves had slowed down when he approached and overtook the car on the narrow lane, as he ‘saw it was a little old lady driving and he did not want to frighten her.’

Mr Kellett said Reeves, a father of three, had started taking crack cocaine and heroin after the break up of his relationship last year.

Reeves cried in the dock as the court was told he was now making efforts to address his addiction - and Mr Kellett urged Judge Matthew Lowe not to send Reeves to prison.

But Judge Lowe said he had to impose an immediate jail term.

He said: “This was a deliberate piece of driving. You made the conscious decision to try and evade police.

“You did so in complete disregard for the safety of road users and, indeed pedestrians.

“With the high speeds there was a risk of serious harm being caused to others.”

He also said he had to impose the jail term because of Reeves’ previous failure to stick to court orders.

Along with the six month jail term, Reeves was banned from driving for two years - with the disqualification starting from when he is released from prison.